My favorite city hotel pretty much anywhere. We’ve stayed there once or twice annually since they opened in 2005. Great location, friendly people, and the guests are vastly improved since Harvey Weinstein was imprisoned!
Apologies for just catching this. A few points:
- cornus is outstanding for both food and wine. Wine list is superb and reasonably priced. Bizarrely, it’s not hard to get a reservation.
- Noize is more of a relaxed french cafe vibe. Mathieu is a superb host and very wine friendly. I’d put the food here a notch below cornus but it’s still excellent. Also not hard to get a reservation.
- Trompette and/or chez bruce are further out but absolutely worth the trip. Really top class food and service and good wine lists.
- I like Elystan St a lot too. They were doing a fantastic sunday lunch deal.
- Chelsea grill recently opened and has really good steak and a great wine list, both by the bottle and glass from coravin. You can eat at the bar if solo.
For traditional pubs:
- The White Horse on Parsons Green
- The Alma and/or The Ship by Wandsworth Bridge
- The Dove in Hammersmith by the river
- The Grenadier in Wilton Mews (nr Sloane Sq)
- The Antelope in Eaton Terrrace (nr Sloane Sq)
If anyone is coming and fancies a wine dinner, go to tom cannavan’s uk wine pages or message me directly and I’d be happy to organise something and/or host a dinner at 67 pall mall.
Dan
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I have one slot left and I am considering Planque, Cornus and Mountain, despite it possibly being better with a group. I will be coming off Dry January+ so don’t want to plunge into a multi-bottle wine dinner this time, but appreciate the offer @dbailey !
For what it’s worth, Planque was one of my best meals of 2025. Lots of interesting dishes, and yet it was even more than the sum of its parts. I haven’t been to Mountain but I’ve been to Brat, and I found Planque much more exciting – even putting aside the wine. Haven’t tried Cornus.
Planque changes their menu quite a bit, but we had the bread/butter, scallop tartletts, duck terrine, crab rice, and monkfish. My wife doesn’t typically like terrine but she devoured this preparation, and the monkfish was the best version of the fish I’ve had.
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I think my decision is made. 
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Lots of interesting options in this just refreshed list.
As an fyi I had a pretty uninspiring meal at Medlar. Middle of the fairway solid, but what I would characterize as stodgy cuisine.
The wine list is deep (although pricey to my eye), and I can certainly see why it is likely a super hospitable place for a wine dinner for wine geeks…Just wouldn’t want to give the impression to someone visiting from out of the country that they should be planning a visit for its creative menu.
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I didn’t want to be the contrarian in the Medlar love fest… We were there the evening they received their Michelin * and the evening they lost it. Both were deserved.
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Agree with this completely. We went once and had a very enjoyable time, loved the bottles we brought and the conversation with the somm and guests at the next table was delighteful. The food was just fine.
A couple quick comments on the Highgate (North London) listings. I found The Bull and Last really underwhelming, both on the food and beverage front.
The Red Lion and Sun is fantastic. Interesting food and a smart wine list. Probably my favourite gastropub in London right now.
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I’m surprised The Parakeet doesn’t make that list of gastropubs. Both food and wine a notch or two above The Red Lion and Sun (which again, I adore) and well above The Bull and Last. Really thoughtful and inventive cuisine, much of it cooked over fire. Which I get everyone does now, but they do it all quite well.
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Highgate and Hampstead, despite being two of the most expensive neighborhoods in London, have always been badly lacking in decent restaurants. Once in a decade something decent opens, trades well for a while, then closes.
There is a second page of numbers 51to 100, the Parakeet is number 55. We are off to number 42, the Durham Ox for lunch tomorrow.
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Licking back up on the Parakeet. I love that the food is so thoughtful, for a gastropub (yeah, I get they come is all sorts of shapes and sizes, but still…) . Seriously thoughtful, but also often beautiful and ultimately fun.
If anyone will be in London and wants to have a civilized lunch at Noble Rot Lambs Conduit with me on 2/19, send me a DM! It needs to be that location as I will have just arrived and probably can’t check into my hotel yet, a hotel which is 10min walk from NR. So I want to be in the area for flexibility, a place to change, drop luggage etc.
I don‘t think anyone here would disagree with your characterisation of Medlar except for some who are more negative re the food! It’s fine for what it is and was a good place for offlines in the private room upstairs. However, it’s not a patch on somewhere like Cornus, La Trompette etc.
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Part of the attraction of Medlar is price.
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Especially for the lunch. Extremely reasonable and solid to good food with good service+easy corkage
And it’s only a few pounds more on Sunday evening, which is when I tend to go.
It sort of the cellar defender of London restaurants, very tasty food/pleasant ambiance/doesn’t ask a lot of the diner.